Annie Zhang

/My focus

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

Annie provides ongoing advice to clients on complex employee benefits and federal income tax issues for a broad range of retirement, health and welfare, fringe benefits, and deferred compensation arrangements for private, public, and nonprofit entities and in the collective bargaining and corporate transaction context. She advises on day-to-day benefit administration, fiduciary, and governance matters related to ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, the Affordable Care Act, COBRA, HIPAA, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (including the No Surprises Act), SECURE Act, and SECURE 2.0 Act. Annie has extensive experience working with clients to design and implement comprehensive employee benefit programs that align with organizational goals and regulatory requirements. She assists clients in navigating the complexities of compliance, ensuring that benefit plans meet stringent and ever-evolving legal standards. She is also adept at negotiating service agreements to achieve maximum transparency, fiduciary protections, and appropriate fee arrangements.

/Looking ahead

As litigation and regulatory scrutiny over fiduciary obligations in the management and administration of health and welfare benefits intensify, plan fiduciaries must proactively create and implement formal, well documented governance and compliance processes to mitigate emerging risks and protect against costly legal challenges.